


Dinner

by Comedia



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-12
Updated: 2012-09-12
Packaged: 2017-11-14 01:49:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/510023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Comedia/pseuds/Comedia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Someone has to take care of the Commander.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dinner

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t even know what this is. Just after Kaidan joined the Normandy they started doing this dinner-thing. So yeah. Shepard and Kaidan have dinner; there’s a slight bit of uncertainty and some awkwardness.

For the first time in ages Shepard has managed to remember that it’s a good idea to eat food. It’s late, so he’s surprised to hear both Vega and Kaidan as he exits the elevator at the Crew Deck. Not really wanting to eavesdrop, but not feeling comfortable to just barge in either, in case it’s a private conversation, he stops by the memorial wall, listening.

“Biotic-metabolism or not, that’s a lot of food, Major.”

Shepard’s half expecting a chuckle, but it never comes. Instead Kaidan sighs.

“Someone has to keep the Commander going.”

 

Vega’s voice is mild but challenging, as always, when he speaks again but Shepard isn’t listening. He retreats back into the elevator before he can hear anything else, returning to his cabin.

Sure, he might’ve been kind of out of it lately. He’d never admit it to himself, but all this diplomacy, and all those hours spent on the Citadel helping strangers retrieve all kinds of objects, is really getting to him. It’s not that he doesn’t care or that he’d prefer to ignore all of this, it’s just that Earth is always there in the back of his mind. He might be a Spectre, and he might’ve fought both Soverign and the Collectors for not only mankind but for the entire galaxy, but this doesn’t feel right. 

So yeah, he might be pushing himself a little too hard. Always trying to reach the battle that feels right, to put an end to this, but it’s not like he’s going to break either.

Kaidan has been bringing him dinner a lot lately. Always enough for two. Sometimes they’ll eat in silence, sometimes they’ll discuss the latest mission, but all the more often they’ll simply… talk. It’s been a long time since talking was this easy, even with Garrus there’s always something, but with Kaidan it doesn’t matter what he’ll end up saying. There’s this unspoken rule, an understanding, between them.

Or at least he thought so. But apparently someone has to keep the Commander going. He hadn’t thought that keeping him company would’ve been such a chore.

He can’t really remember sittning down in the couch, but Kaidan will probably be at the door any second now, so he might as well remain there.

With a deep sigh he leans back, staring at the ceiling. He should put an end to this. There’s no need to have someone babysit him, and Kaidan can probably think of better things to do.

But the thing is that he likes this. He really do. Groaning he brings his hands up, covering his face, and that’s when the door opens.

“Hey”, Kaidan says, his voice as calm as ever. “I’m sorry to say I have no idea what this mess is supposed to be. I suspect there’s vegetables in there… somewhere. Vega says it’s edible.”

“Thanks.”

If he notices the edge to Shepard’s voice he doesn’t say so. Instead there’s the sound of plates against the sofa-table, and the pillows moving slightly as Kaidan sits down next to him.

He can hear the clatter of cuttlery, but when John doesn’t move the room goes silent.

“Day’s been that bad, huh?”

Someone has to keep the Commander going.

He lowers his hands to glance at Kaidan, realizing the brown eyes are entirely focused on him.

“I’ve been thinking”, he says, not even adressing the question. “You could probably think of something better to do with your time.”

“Oh. Okay.” It’s more like a question than anything else, the last word drawn out, an obvious request for an explanation.

“I’m not gonna crash and burn without a babysitter. Most of the crew try to find enjoyment wherever, whenever, they can. You should too. You don’t have to take on the responsibility of ‘keeping the Commander going’, so to speak.”

“So you heard that, huh?”

He’s not sure what to make of Kaidan’s expression, it’s concerned but somehow with the hint of a smile.

“It is true that someone has to keep you going, don’t deny that. And if you’d prefer someone else doing it, that’s fine. But I am finding enjoyment, Shepard, and it’s right here. There’s nowhere I’d rather be, in the galaxy or, y’know, on this ship.”

He can’t really recognize the feeling rushing through his body alongside the overwhelming relief, so he quickly reaches for one of the plates on the low table.

It’s not like it helps him regain his composure though. After only one bite he can feel his eyes water. Damn Vega and his spicy food all to hell. Coughing he reaches for a glass on the table, thankful it’s water.

“Hey, I only promised it was edible”, Kaidan says, the chuckle now evident in his voice.

After chugging down the water Shepard looks at him, not quite able to hold back a smile.

“Thanks.” 

He doesn’t bother to explain why he’s thankful, because Kaidan knows - he understands - he always does.

With a small nod Kaidan takes a bite of the food, eyes never leaving Shepard.

“You were telling me about the mercenary guy”, he says, reminding John what they were talking about last night.

“Yeah, Zaeed.” Shepard makes a point of staring at his food before continuing. “He was a nice asset to the team. There was something about him that reminded me of you. He’d been around for a long time and knew what to expect in every situation. Something about that made me think of our time back on the Normandy.”

As he finishes speaking he glances up at Kaidan, and the intense brown eyes are there, just as he expected, meeting him halfway. The silence is heavy, filling his head with ideas he’s not quite ready for, not just yet.

“But yeah, except for that you two couldn’t be more different. Zaeed is brutal. 

See, we dock at Omega, and I’m barely off the ship when I see this man beating a batarian. I walk over to them, and it turns out that this is the man I’m supposed to bring aboard. And what he did to that batarian is nothing compared to when I helped him track down his old partner…”

Shepard has never been much of a storyteller. He either keeps things short, or prefers to listen. But since they started doing this he has realized how much he enjoys when Kaidan’s focus is on him, and him only. And while he can listen to the older man’s calm voice for hours, today is one of those days when he needs to be the center of Kaidan’s world, at least for an hour or two.


End file.
